Legacy of Valdemar
by hercat
Summary: Sometimes, the only way to keep living is to keep moving. A story about journeys.
1. I met this lady in a bar

I started this fic years ago, and am pleased (and relieved) to finally be able to publish the completed version. In order to do this, I had to make a few changes. You'll just have to tell me what you think.

The world of Valdemar and all its native inhabitants are the property of ML, the lucky girl. Legacy is mine, no matter what she's calling herself now, though I'll share if someone asks nicely. Enjoy the ride!

**Legacy of Valdemar **

**I met this lady in a bar. . .**

I was quietly enjoying a beer in the town's (only) bar when a herald walked in the door. He looked rather worn. You wouldn't catch me taking that bad care of myself.  
The inkeep immediately rushed up, and wringing his hands began protesting how he had nothing suitable. I saw the herald's gaze pass over him to the rest of the crowd's unfriendly faces. _It must be the proximity to the Hardornen border. Elsewhere a herald means a good time, a welcome change from routine. Here it means war. _The herald blushed, actually _turned pink_ and took a step backwards. _Must be a newbie._ I smirked inwardly and invited him over.

"I have a space open here for a herald who wants some hot dinner." His face settled in a determined expression. I was careful to keep my humour at his excessive shyness internal. In the centuries since my 'birth' it had become increasingly sarcastic until it was nearly a weapon in its own right.

"Thank you." he said with a tired smile. "I'm not very good with crowds." I laughed softly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it shows." I could have gone on, but one of the barmaids came up.

"So whad ju want then?" She asked belligerently. The herald seemed to rally slightly from his fatigue and sat up. He looked quite nice when he did that. Short brown hair, green eyes and a nice nose, but almost everyone looks too young when you're my age. He ordered a meat pie and some ale. The barmaid gave me an unfriendly glare, and I realised that she'd seen me looking him over. She'd done the same herself and probably come to a different conclusion. Maybe it was the uniform. Even young I'd never been impressed by those. I knew too well what the people wearing them could do.

I reclined further into my corner (a lesson I'd learned young) and made a vague gesture with my tankard. 843 years gives one a great deal of practice with body language. She frowned at me suspiciously and flicked her gaze at the herald before stomping off to the kitchen.

"What was all that about?" My new friend asked, his eyes wide. Being ignorant is one thing, and can't be helped, but displaying it to someone you don't know well enough to trust is quite another. I locked eyes with him, something I avoid when trying to make friends.

"She's the tavern whore. As soon as you walked through the door she decided she wanted to screw you, and was mad at me because I looked to be cutting in. I just told her I wouldn't interfere with her." I cocked my head and looked at him. Was he shocked?

"Oh, is that all? I thought she was mad because your moustache is almost bigger than hers."

"HAH" I barked, throwing my head back, giving my good smile. "You've not got all of the 'new' left on you then, eh herald." The funny bit was that I actually could grow a large moustache if I wanted. I had absolute control over my body so long as I stuck to my primary food and avoided the glop humans ate. I suppose I could even become male, though I had never tried, or wanted to.

I expect master wanted me female so I would seem less of a challenge to his authority. I had later learned that women are viewed as gentle delicate creatures, and to most a female without emotions, who acts without mercy or remorse is viewed as being far more frightening than a male who does the same. It is seen as being against nature, unnatural. As good a description for me as anything else.

The herald smiled politely and seemed to relax. He told me his name was Camon and I asked him to call me Chesh, short for Cheshire. He didn't have any trouble telling it wasn't my real name. Still, having someone call me 'Legacy of Undying Evil' in public is hardly the way to blend in. The food arrived, and I paid very close attention to the dregs of my ale to avoid laughing as the barmaid ran her hand possessively over Camon's shoulder. He blithely ignored her and grabbed for the food like a starving man.  
I watched him eat, slightly revolted. The idea of putting physical material in one end now seemed vaguely perverse, even though I'd done it at one point and enjoyed the process. Camon paused and looked up.

"Should I order one for you?" He asked.

"Thanks, but I already had dinner." That was true enough, though hardly what he'd think "Besides, the barmaid'd likely poison it." Not that that would bother me. "So, headed to Hardorn?" Herald Camon paused in his eating.

"What would make you think that?" He asked.

"Where else would you be going in such a hurry? There's not exactly a lot of towns 'round here." Most of them had been destroyed in the war with Ancar, may rats eat his bones. I've seen enough rebuilding to know how fast it should be, and it was going slow here. I suspected the draining of the earth had a lot to do with this. The land had been recovering over the years, but compared to Valdemar it was still barren of life and energy. That was one reason I'd been avoiding it. "If you were a messenger coming out of Hardorn, you'd hardly be stopping for dinner. I assume your Companion. . ."

"Iearnen"

"Is in the stables. So where's your partner, the one with actual field experience?" I gave him a taste of my smile. He flushed angrily. Cor, but he was easy to rile. If he was going to last long enough to lose the peach fuzz, he needed a thicker skin.

"My partner," he said with a little heat "is back at Riverbend with her Companion Raineth and the close attentions of the healer. We were hunting for supper when a bear surprised us. We got away but both Si'anne and Raineth were injured." I nodded. I liked the heat to his words. Passion is rare to me, moreso as time goes on. It warmed my old bones to be near it. I wondered if he was the sort I could travel with for a while. After all I'd come here to visit Hardorn, just about the only country I'd never even traveled through. I'd decided to visit when I'd heard the rumours about the new King. Inexperience made for opportunities. Suddenly several bits of information fit. I decided to burst his anger-bubble and see how he reacted.

"So what's it like, having earth-sense?" I said casually. His jaw just about hit the table.

"How. . .How did you know?" I smiled. Not 'who told you'. I liked people who were not naturally suspicious. They tended not to worry about my little habits. Like not eating. He was looking worried, so I decided to relive him. "You're going into Hardorn, because if you were riding circuit, you'd either be waiting with your injured friend, rushing to meet up with a herald on another circuit, in which case you'd be further north, or riding this circuit by yourself, in which case you'd not be staying in an inn. Since it's none of these, you're going to meet up with one or more heralds in Hardorn. But all of them are in the capital. Therefore you're going to the capital, and it's urgent, because you're trying to make up for the time lost in Riverbend. At the same time it's not so urgent that they want you there tired. So they want a skill you have. It's not something you know, because you're too young, and not from the area. I'd guess you were born and raised in Haven. Therefore it's something you can do. The King has a strong gift of earth-sense, and I guessed you do too."

"Still" he murmured.

"And let this be a lesson to you." I said pompously. "The observant mind has a wealth of clues available to them." I hoped he took that seriously enough to remember it later, but not enough to think on it now. "I leave for Hardorn in the morning and would appreciate some company if you're willing to travel slowly enough. I might have a few lessons on earth-sense to share myself." As I walked up the stairs to the room I'd rented much earlier I muttered to myself "Cor Caier'Rian knows you could use some help."  
I could feel his eyes following me as I climbed.


	2. And with her I traveled far

**And with her I traveled far**

My name, as given to me by Master, is Legacy. I was His legacy to this world, though I doubt he expected me to outlast him, immortal though I am. I told that poor herald, who's probably asleep downstairs by now to call me Cheshire. For all the evil that's followed me in my long life, children's stories have always been a light to me. They don't remind me of a peaceful time so much as remind me that peace can exist. Not for everyone always, but always somewhere. Alice isn't my childhood, but I imagine she could have been.

You're probably wondering how someone from Valdemar can even know about that story, and the answer is simple. I remember. My master had me believe I was his creation. A weapon created to serve as his long hand of power. It wasn't long after I left that I began to remember otherwise. That the discovered lord I worshipped so avidly was nothing more than a scavenger. No more than a grave robber feeding off the carcass of a civilization that died a thousand years before.

I can get lonely, so I try to avoid staying in one place. I've seen most of this world by now, or perhaps seen it in its new form. There have been places where I've been hunted for the 'secret' of my immortality, and others where I was revered for it. Neither was painless. I go through cycles of removing myself emotionally to spare myself pain, and becoming as involved as possible in life to savour the fleeting experience. I'm still recovering from the last taste. If time heals all wounds, it must be a fraction of your lifetime rather than a measured span of years.

There are compensations too. I watch the rise and fall of empires like measured waves on a beach. I found a phrase in my memories a long time ago that has stayed with me. 'Think like a mountain'. It's a perspective on life not available to anyone else except the gods, and I treasure it. I think that as time passes I gain some insight into the tapestry of life. Oh, I can never see the whole thing of course, but I think I make good guesses, and I have the time to explore them.

If nothing else, there is always time.

Camon Ortell stared up at the rafters from the floor where he lay. The barmaid had indeed offered him her bed once Chesh had left, thing is, she had no intention of leaving it. She had no appeal to him. He had done his best to turn her down gently, but it hadn't gone well. He knew that Chesh was right about one thing at least, she wanted him because he was a herald. _Because I'm a herald. HAH, more like because I'm wearing a herald's uniform._ They'd told him that he'd graduated, that he was ready, but he knew they were wrong. He had the sneaking suspicion they knew it too, and were just trying to improve his spirits at being sent so far from home. His teachers knew how much he hated moving. It had almost killed him to move halfway across Haven, let alone go riding circuit. He had overheard one of his teachers asking how they expected him to survive it. His odd form of Earth-sense seemed to resent him being moved. A lot.

When he'd moved to the collegium for the first time, he'd stopped sleeping. He'd gone to the healers for some medicine after two sleepless nights, but when he'd reacted badly to the potion they'd given him, they'd told him he would sleep when he got tired enough. After three sleepless nights he'd fallen off Iearnen in the middle of equitation practice, something nearly impossible to do with a companion. The weird thing was, the hard ground of companions field had felt like the most comfortable bed he'd had in a long time. He was asleep before the first trainee reached him. They hadn't wanted to move him, and when the healer arrived, she'd (finally) recognised what was going on. He'd been fine after that, having formed a bond with the earth of the collegium.  
He didn't seem to be drifting off, or bonding with the earth. It looked like another wakeful night was in the offing. _At least I have experience with those. I'm good enough to sleep on Iearnen now without falling off, especially if I use the straps. Sometimes it seems like the only place away from home where I can rest._  
He opened his mind towards his companion. It would have been nice to communicate in words, via mindspeech, but just as herald Talia communicated with Rolan using empathy, he could talk to Iearnen with Earth-sense.

He tried to gently feel weather Iearnen was asleep and got a response  
_:Hmmnummm?:_ Awake then. And worried about something.  
_:What's worrying you?:_ It wasn't sent that clearly of course.  
_:Hurummnumm!:_ Something about Chesh, he thought, but nothing specific.  
_:Do you mind her travelling with us?:_  
_:Umnummm:_ A no, and a feeling of curiosity about it.  
_:There's something strange about her, but you're curious about it and not worried?:_  
_:UM!:_ Camon grinned. He always felt good when he and Iearnen managed to communicate.  
_:Mind if I come visit you?:_  
_:Hummmm:_ Camon relaxed in the feeling of welcome from Iearnen before rising to join him in the stables. Maybe he'd be able to sleep there. Something told him he'd need all his strength to deal with tomorrow.

Before dawn Legacy headed down to the stables. The stableboys were just beginning to stir. She walked to her horse Nacheth and began to groom him. She didn't want him to look shabby beside the Companion. Probably a futile hope, he was a scruffy little thing. Durable though, his name meant 'walks forever' which is what he would do. To her knowledge, the only time he'd ever gone faster they'd had a pack of wolves chasing them. _More a large pony than a horse, really._ She thought looking at him critically. She sighed as he tried to eat her shirt. _Maybe part goat too._ When he was nearly ready to go, she walked along the stalls looking for Iearnen, Camon's Companion. She found him in the last one, slowly munching his morning grain.  
"Good morning Iearnen. I'm looking for Herald Camon." Iearnen snorted and gestured with his nose towards the near corner. By leaning over the door she was able to see Camon asleep in the corner. He looked sort of cute drooling into his shirt. She smiled.  
"Are we traveling together then?" Nod. "Well, then we'd better leave now. If you wake him, I'll get some breakfast. With luck we'll be into Hardorn this afternoon."  
On the way out she ran into one of the yawning stableboys.  
"The herald and I are leaving. Bring our tack to the stalls and see that both sets of saddlebags have a full measure of grain."  
"Yes miss" he said hurrying off. _After all_ Legacy mused to herself _who knows _what _we'll find on the other side of the border._


	3. We left the land where I was born

**We left the land where I was born**

They set out as the sun rose, soon leaving the rousing town behind them. Camon had roused himself long enough to eat breakfast and mount. With Iearnen's permission Legacy had taken a tax-chit from Camon's pouch to pay his bill. She paid hers with coin. The rhythmic noise of the hooves on the hard road and the jingle of tack were soothing. Legacy chatted to Iearnen about places she'd been and cities she'd visited. She was careful not to talk about her opinions or adventures. It was easy to reveal too much that way. She also did her best to limit herself to discussing the past 20 years. Abruptly she paused.

"Do you want me to shut up? I can, you know." Iearnen seemed to consider this before shaking his head no. He tossed his head in their direction of travel. "You want me to talk about Hardorn." Yes. "Well, there's not much. Ancar, as I'm sure you know, was the previous ruler. I avoided the land while he had control. Before Ancar was a succession of Earth-sense gifted rulers." Which had made the place unsuitable for her even then. 

To anyone who was experienced with Earth-sense Chesh made an anomalous 'dead spot' by just existing, and became glaringly obvious when she was feeding. It was a lucky thing she hadn't taken dinner before noticing the herald was around. He hadn't noticed anything strange about her in her rest state, which showed how inexperienced he was. There was a good chance that would also protect her from Tremane, though she had no intention of staying in one place long enough for him to get curious. It was a chance that was unlikely to ever come again, and Hardorn was just about the only place in the area she hadn't been, having even visited Karse and Iftel.

"Hey, the border post already. We made good time." Iearnen glared. "For _horseback_ of course." This would be her last chance to feed for a while. Camon was asleep, and likely to stay that way. "Don't bother waking him up. I'll get lunch. There seems to be a canteen attached to the post." She dismounted, leaving Nacheth free to munch the grass. With all the bushes around he would have a nice lunch. The interior of the canteen was dark and smelled of smoke. Several people in guard uniforms sat around tables enjoying a hot lunch. Surprisingly there was a bar. She walked up to it and took a seat, paying for a set of three lunch rolls. Camon was at that age where five meals a day weren't enough.

The bartender, an old one-eyed veteran took her order.  
"It'll be a moment lady."  
"That's fine." He left to go into the kitchen. Suddenly she felt an unwelcome presence at my side. _Gods. Why me? Why always me? And why always the scuzzy ones?_ The gods, if they were listening, did not grace her with a reply. She winced at a gust of breath like a sewer.  
"Well, hey there little lady. Interested in getting to know a real man?" He leered at me. _If I see a real man I'll tell him you called. _She did not say this out loud, which was probably more of a challenge than it should have been, seeing as the man had several stone on her. He seemed to feel her silence was permission for him to touch. She would have just removed his hand and asked him to leave, but then he groped her. Her left arm slid under his and wrapped around his shoulder, fingers upwards. He started to turn and she thrust her right knee into his stomach. As he folded over she kindly guided his head into the bar. Nice solid oak, they really didn't build like that anymore. She looked at the crumpled guard and yelled.  
"What the HELL is wrong with you people? You're supposed to be Valdemar's first line of defence, and here you are, letting one of your own act like a drunken pervert! You should be ashamed of yourselves."

She escaped the resulting brawl by going through the kitchen, feeling a certain amount of glee at the violence.  
"Here." Said the barkeep angrily thrusting the lunch at her. "Now get out before you cause any more damage." He winced at a crash.  
"Why isn't the post officer stopping this?"  
"Well," the barkeep said sarcastically "he's busy being unconscious on the floor thanks to you."  
"If I were you I'd bill the crown for the damages instead of sending the charges through the Guard. If you send an account of what happened it practically guaranties there'll be an investigation." He got a thoughtful look and nodded.  
"Aye, not a bad idea that." He turned to the side and passed me a second bag. "Hardtack and cheese. Now shoo." She smiled as she left, and was halfway back to Iearnen before she realised that in all the excitement she hadn't eaten. 


	4. And Entered in the new Hardorn

**And entered in the new Hardorn**

They quickly passed both the Valdemarian and the Hardornen sides of the border, irritating Legacy. After she'd gone to the trouble of acquiring herself an impeccable set of credentials as a messenger, they hadn't even asked. The guild owed her, she'd managed to deliver a message to a mage they hadn't been able to find. Some people have very paranoid definitions of privacy. Of course, if she had that many enemies, she'd be scared too. Actually she probably did, she just made a point of keeping the list pruned.

As the Hardornen guard waved them through she had the uncomfortable feeling he wanted to give a warning, but couldn't think how to phrase it. Legacy was hoping he'd speak up. She wasn't that much harder to kill than a human. Finally, he told them to 'be careful now'. As they continued south she had the disturbing feeling he was trying to memorise their faces, like a doctor marking a terminal case in their mind.

As they moved from the border the scenery changed, becoming sparser and rougher. It wasn't as bad as it had been, not by any means, but you could still tell the energy had been sucked out of this place. And it'd been what, fifteen years? More? It'd be a few decades yet before the energy level was back to where it should be. This sort of reckless damage made Legacy furious, reminding her of the pollution that had ruined so much of the land she was born to.

Camon felt uneasy. Iearnen had managed to get across to him that something had happened at the border post when Chesh had gone for lunch. He'd managed to communicate that she'd been in a good mood earlier, but she certainly wasn't now. She was wearing a frown like his mother'd had when the plants he'd kept in his room had attracted a swarm of beetles. He could still remember the lecture vividly. Camon wondered if she was having one of her moon days, but he certainly wasn't going to suggest it. Illya, one of his year mates had taught him that by throwing a screaming fit at the question. _All the lessons I seem to have absorbed well came from women who were mad at me. This is an unfortunate pattern. _

He watched Chesh out of the corner of his eye, and saw her glaring at the stunted trees like they were a personal offence. _Maybe she's remembering the war. She wouldn't have been very old then, but maybe she still remembers it. _It was something that would make anyone mad. He'd studied it in history class with a group of his year mates. His teacher had been on the front and had impressed the entire class with what a near thing it had been. Gave him the shivers just thinking about it.

He got Iearnen to slow as they passed a farm. Camon shuddered at the thought of trying to eke a living from the soil, but his discomfort eased as he saw the fields bordering the road. They were not quite as rich as the ones he had seen leaving Valdemar, but they were certainly doing well. He realised the price of grain would likely be higher here too. As they walked along the dusty road the fields slowly changed to grass. He saw a herd of cows, a reassuringly normal sight. Then he saw the farmer, and what he was standing over brought him and Iearnen to an abrupt stop, eyes wide. 

The farmer was trying to hitch the remains of a cow to a team of horses, which weren't cooperating. What fascinated him though was the state of the dead beast. It looked like something had torn it limb from limb. Camon tried not to visualise a creature that could do that. Even the gryphons at Haven, the largest predators he had ever seen wouldn't have been strong enough. To kill the cow; certainly. To tear it apart. . .

Chesh had circled her horse against the fence and was now on foot, leaning against it.  
"Ho, farmer! Would a hand with them horse be welcomed?"  
" 'Deed it would Lady. If ye could just make em hold still a moment I could get my poor dead beastie hitched." Chesh quickly vaulted the fence. Camon flushed. He was the herald! He should have thought to offer. As Chesh skillfully calmed the horses and tied rags over their noses to blunt the smell of blood, he helped the farmer tie the milch cow to the rig. There was no shortage of protruding bones to tie the ropes to.

"So what did this then? It must have been a fearsome beast indeed." Chesh had a certain edge to her questioning. Camon agreed with her. The thought of traveling with a monster like that around was not a restful one.  
"Agh, them things be no news. They bin 'round since them mage storms a few years gone. Kill a beast ev'ry so often. Scares me it does, that this one didn't eat so much. Nothin' worse than a hungry beast, cept maybe a hurt one."  
"You think it was chased from it's kill?"  
"Eyep. That why I aint leaving the bits, case it come back. Take it to the midden, bury it deep. Figure the stench'll keep it from finding the bits. Don' even slaughter m'own pigs anymore less it tracks the scent."  
"Smart of you. You'd best dig this path under, maybe with manure, as well as the spot where the kill was made."  
"If you have any human hair, spread it around." Camon advised, glad he had something to contribute. "Most animals will say away from it."  
"Eyah" Said the farmer nodding sagely. Then squinting at Camon, "Hey, don' you be one a them herald folk?" Camon nodded, happy to be recognised. "You headin' to the capitol then? Gonna see the king?" Camon nodded cheerfully, feeling proud. "Then you tell him that he's an _ijit_ f'r lettin' monsters eat my stock. You tell him that, from me!"  
_I wonder how I can rephrase that to sound tactful?_ In his head he heard a sound suspiciously like a horse laughing so hard it was going to fall over. 


	5. She killed a monster with her teeth

**She killed a monster with her teeth**

After meeting the farmer, the day seemed much more pleasant. The sky seemed bluer, and the road-dust much less irritating. Chesh talked about the plants she recognized by the roadside, and Camon told her stories about the collegium. He told her about his parents, and she told him about Averon, a city in CeeJay where the streets were actually canals and everyone used boats for transport. He talked about being a herald trainee, and she told him about working for the messengers guild. She related funny stories about the 'undeliverables' she specialised in, like the witch whose house was on chicken legs, and how it ran from her. He told her about his orienteering group getting lost in a swamp, and where they had finally gotten out; the formal gardens of a high placed lord. She laughed herself sick at the thought of four trainees and companions, covered with green slime tramping through a lord's rosebushes.

They passed a pleasant morning, stopping for lunch, which she managed to quietly dispose of. They had left the area of the inn, and the farming lands that surrounded the border to enter a stretch of forest.

Suddenly the ground erupted underneath Nacheth, Chesh's horse. A giant form launched itself from the hole it had dug, one bladed hand striking deep into the underside of Nacheth's chest. Chesh was launched backwards over his rump. Iearnen charged the creature, Camon smoothly drawing his sword. The monster was focused on Nacheth who was obviously dead. Drawing the dead horse close, the monster smelled it, ignoring Camon completely. He struck at the back of its neck with the sword and all the force of Iearnen's charge behind it. The sword lodged deep, but then caught on a ridge of bone and tore loose from his grasp, twisting his wrist. He gasped at the shock. Iearnen carried him quickly out of the monster's reach.

He eyed the creature. It was clearly in pain, and just as clearly not about to die from it. The sword hilt jutted out from the back of its neck, and it didn't seem to be able to reach it.  
He wondered what he was going to do now. Chesh crept up on the creature, which distracted by the sword, didn't seem to notice her. She touched it's leg, and the monster arched with pain. It seemed to wither, and in a few heartbeats was nothing more than a desiccated husk that hit the ground with a crunch. Chesh picked her way carefully through the remains to pick up his sword. He stared at her in shock. She paused briefly by Nacheth's body to caress his nose and remove his saddlebags. She walked over to Camon and handed him his weapon in silence. He looked into her eyes. The cold expressionless eyes of a killer. How could he have missed them? He silently shifted bags on Iearnen's back and reached down. "Come on. Iearnen can easily carry double." The speed with which her eyes warmed rewarded him for his choice. 


	6. And helped me with my selfbelief

**And helped me gain some self-belief**

As they left the scene of the monster's demise Iearnen picked up his pace. Legacy supposed it was as much a desire to stretch his legs as a wish to get out of the area. The pace they'd been taking hadn't been one that would challenge the companion. She had a feeling that was going to change. She looked at Camon's bleeding right hand clenched into a fist.

"Camon, Iearnen, stop for a minute." As they halted she dismounted and searched through the packs she'd removed from Nacheth's body. "C'mere. That hand should be bandaged now." Camon dismounted. She gently used a damp, clean cloth to remove the dried blood and open his hand. As she did, she saw that he was shaking. From his own stories she knew that he'd been sheltered most of his life. If she didn't do something he could have a panic attack.

"Well, that could have gone better. Could have gone a lot worse too. I'm fine and you've just got a scraped hand. Poor Nacheth. I'll miss him." She was careful to keep her tone light.  
"I should have known it was there. I should have sensed it." Camon whispered, mostly to himself.  
"Nonsense." Legacy said firmly. "That thing was totally invisible to earth sense, and good at hiding physically as well. I'll bet it burrowed under the road and sprang up at us. No way anyone who didn't have Foresight could have seen it." She had to make any self blame sound foolish and unwarranted.  
"But. . .Nothing is invisible to earth-sense. It's not possible."  
"Oh yes it is." She laughed. _Keep the mood light._ "I should know better than most. I'm doing the exact same thing myself now. It just takes more energy than I had earlier." Camon seemed to focus on her.  
"That's right, there used to be a sort of hole where you were, but now it's gone. I didn't think anything of it."  
"You should have. A normal human doesn't leave holes in the energy field." She considered a moment "Well, maybe an experienced Journeyman would be able to. A mage or adept would have richer energy sources available."  
"What you did back there was a lot more than Journeyman level."  
"Never said I was one. What I am is an energy creature. I have to have it to live. Most of the time I just soak it up out of the air, but I can pull it out of a creature like I did back there." _Be matter-of-fact._  
"So. . .You _ate_ the monster?"  
"Yep. I swear to you though, that I've never done that to anything that wasn't already a food animal or trying to kill me." Camon slowly nodded as she splinted his wrist and bandaged his hand.  
"I suppose it's no worse than killing it and roasting a bit for dinner."  
"Exactly." She relaxed. Together they remounted and continued on their way. 

Camon was slightly in shock. First the attack, and now this. He felt strained and off balance. He reached for Iearnen mentally. The wave of love and approval he felt settled him as always.  
_:So, do you think I did the right thing?:  
:Ahum?:  
:During the fight?:  
:Hurm: _Okay, but not great.  
_:About Chesh?:  
:Ushum!:_ Definitely.  
_:I hope I never have to go through something like that again:  
:Corrinkk!:_ Fat Chance.  
_:What should I do?:  
:Frrnik:_ Ask Chesh.  
"Iearnen says I should ask you about the fight."  
"Smart horse."  
_:ORINK!:_  
"Sorry, Companion."  
"You can hear him?" Chesh frowned.  
"Vaguely, and not really in words. Not earlier either, just when I called him a horse."  
"Um. Do you have any advice about the fight earlier?"  
"Actually, I have quite a lot. Imagine for a minute that I hadn't been there, just you and a pack horse. The monster attacks, kills the horse. What do you do?" There was a pause. "Let me rephrase that. What could you do?"  
"Attack it like I did."  
"What else? Try to remember what the monster looked like."  
"I could have used arrows on it. It had fur, not scales. It hardly had any legs, so even if I wasn't on Iearnen, I could have stayed out of reach."  
"Why would you want to dismount?"  
"Iearnen could fight separately from me. While I distracted it, he could kick it."  
"Certainly an option. Why is that a bad one?"  
"Um, because even though it couldn't walk fast it's arms were quick?"  
"Exactly. You saw how fast it hit Nacheth. We barely saw it move. That isn't to say that your plan is useless, just more of a desperation ploy. A good idea when. . ."  
"When there's someone within the monster's reach and we _have_ to kill it quickly."  
"Precisely. If the only one within range is a dead pack horse, there's no need to close with the beast. Stay back and shoot it. So what would be a good reason for separating?"  
"So Iearnen could get reinforcements."  
"Yes. That would work better in Valdemar, but it might work here too."

Chesh continued to drill Camon in monster tactics. When she exhausted the previous encounter, she changed the situation, adding bystanders, an injured herald, an extra companion and more. They stopped briefly at a town to let the guard there know about the dead horse and monster's remains, so they could be properly disposed of. It was not something that would have occurred to Camon, but on reflection it seemed a good idea. By the time they reached their stopping point Camon's head was whirling with tactics, and Chesh parted for the night with these words;

"The smartest thing you can do in a fight where you're outmatched is wait two seconds, and plan your attack. The second smartest thing is not blaming yourself for not thinking of a better plan. Analysing how you did and blaming yourself are not the same thing. We'll start tomorrow with different monsters." 


	7. Tremaine recalled the choices made

**Tremaine recalled the choices made**

King Tremaine drifted in meditation. The sensations of the country, _his_ country drifted over him. They were familiar, and even welcome, now the country was in better shape. If someone had told him beforehand what those first few months would be like, constantly bombarded with uncomfortable and unfamiliar sensations, he might well have turned down the kingship.

_Well, maybe not. I certainly was out of options at that point._ He would have been a traitor in the Empire, and a murderer in Valdemar. A wave of sorrow passed over him. If only he had _known_ and not made a malicious jump to conclusions. He resolutely put his emotions aside. They interfered with what he was trying to accomplish. He would pay for his crime with lifelong service to his country. A fierce protective desire filled him. He would never allow Hardorn to return to the shattered wreck it had been. _No matter the cost._  
And one of the prices he paid daily was larger than it might first appear; time. An hour out of every day without fail. _Not an easy thing with my schedule._ He laughed silently to himself _and here I am wasting part of the hour._

With that thought, Tremaine threw himself into the daily ritual of searching the country, Thumblength by Thumblength. He tried to cover a small town each day.  
By the time he finished his back was stiff and his neck hurt. He rose and headed towards his bath. There were some perks to being Royalty. As he went he passed the list of notes he'd made to a page. No instructions were required, there was nothing out of the ordinary this time. Some more farmers were ignoring the new laws and over stressing the earth's bounty. They would be warned, and then fined if they repeated the offence.

Tremaine had no sympathy for them. He'd made it quite clear that more _now_ could mean a famine _later_. If they needed money, loans were available free of interest. He'd listed the location of a cache he'd found on the list too. Over the decades of persecution in Hardorn the money'd set had buried their valuables well. The claimants to the troves were, for the most part, long dead, so Tremaine cheerfully appropriated them to fund public projects, like the loans.

_Now if I could only find those monsters as easily._ He thought as he lowered himself into the bath. One legacy of the mage-storms had been the change-creatures. Some were harmless, but most quite a menace. He'd managed to get most of the pockets of them cleaned out, but one large group seemed to be able to shield themselves from earth-sense. He hadn't thought that was possible, and had wondered briefly if it could maybe be bandits. Until he'd seen the damage that one of them had done to a farmhouse, and the family living inside.

Finally, he'd asked Valdemar for assistance. It had arrived in the persons of Herald Talia, of whom he'd grown quite fond, and a Tayleydras Adept, Silverleaf.  
He'd been overjoyed to see the two of them, at least at first, but now he was beginning to think the Vale had sent the adept just to get rid of the man. He'd never met anyone so arrogant in his entire life, and since he'd met the late Emperor Charliss himself, that was saying something. _You'd think I was an assistant Pig-keeper who seized the throne the way he treats me._

The man was impossible to work with in a group. Unfortunately, Herald Talia had proved to be no more helpful. Empathy and Earth-sense would normally be a good match, but their training was proving to be too different. A week ago she'd called for a certain Herald to be sent, one with the gift of Earth-sense and the same training Talia had received herself. He was supposed to arrive today and Tremaine was hopeful that he'd make a bridge between them. The monsters had killed five people this week alone. Nothing like the war, but still. He'd received some disturbing indications that they might be hunting together.

He suddenly wondered if sending Silverleaf to meet the new Herald had been such a good idea. It had seemed like a good way to get rid of the man for a day. _If the man's said a civil word since he came, it hasn't been to me. I certainly hope that Herald can control his temper!_

* * *

__

Next Chapter, our adventurers meet Silverleaf, and we learn of _Iearnen's_ spotted past.


	8. And Chesh the love she couldn't save

**And Chesh the love she couldn't save**

As they rode out from the inn the next morning, the countryside gradually changed from rural to urban. It was easy to see the signs that the capital had expanded in the past few years. Traffic was heavier here, and the going was slower. The closer they got to the city, the more obvious it was that it had been designed with an eye to future defense. Tremaine was taking no chances on being invaded. Unsurprising considering that Hardorn bordered the Empire, a country that had already attacked it once. Of course, he'd been leading the invasion, so he was hardly likely to forget.

As Iearnen meandered slowly through the rings of walls that surrounded the city, both Camon and Legacy were lost in observation. Camon commented on the architecture, and how different the styles were from Haven. Chesh, at heart a city creature, reveled in the sensation of being amid a press of people. The energy given off by a crowd was like sunshine on her skin and she happily soaked it up.

There was such a variety of people, something she'd always considered a positive sign. Dye merchants in brilliant clothes, a fresh faced shopkeeper passing over a squawking chicken and a jeweler holding a bracelet against a lady's skin. She resolutely looked away to see a gryphon sunning itself on a balcony. _A visitor from Iftel? Or perhaps Valdemar. _Now there was a rumour she'd hardly credited. She could cry when she thought of all the work it had taken to get past the great barrier around that country. Suddenly a voice rang out over the crowd.

"You, on the horse" _An odd accent. Familiar. _Legacy looked over, and froze. _Oh Gods! It's not possible, he's dead. Two hundred years dead and the better part of me with him. Has he come back to haunt me? I was just starting to recover. _She drew a shuddering gasp and the eyes, focused on Camon, snapped to her. A sneer formed on those lips that she seemed to remember so well, and the resemblance broke. _My love never looked at anyone like that, not for any cause. _It was one of the reasons she'd loved him, that he had a heart large enough to care for everyone. Even her with such a cruel mouth and harsh thoughts. Her mind started to work again. _Of course, a descendant of Brightspot's. He must be what, my grandchild? Great-grandchild?_

__  
"You know boy, if you were going to bring your own personal _perchi_ with you, why didn't you at least bring a pretty one?" Legacy felt a vague disappointment pass through her at the realisation that her husband's line had come to this. Not just the arrogance or rudeness, but the stupidity. What if she had been a visiting dignitary?  
"I am Herald Camon. My companion is Iearnen, and my friend's name is Cheshire. You will address us correctly and politely."  
"Or what boy? She'll refuse to screw me?" Camon tensed and Chesh quietly muttered,  
"You were screwed the day you were born. You just haven't noticed yet." Loudly, looking pointedly at nothing over Camon's left shoulder, "Iearnen, Camon, My people have a saying; never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig enjoys it."

With that, Iearnen strode off towards the palace, leaving the unknown tayleydras behind. A few blocks later Iearnen started giggling (as well as he could) and as for the other two, well they just had to join in.

Rolan felt old. Of course he was, having survived and just plain outlived several generations of Companions, but now he felt it. It was the prospect of having to deal with Iearnen. It was common for Heralds to be unusual or unstable. It was even mildly expected, at least when they arrived at the Collegium. Companions however, were supposed to be stable, like rocks for their Chosen to rest upon. Any Herald who returned as a Companion had, presumably, been Judged and Approved. Knowing that didn't help. Iearnen still made Rolan nervous.

_He feels like an accident looking for a place to happen. No, worse, like a disaster. If he's ever said a word to anyone except his Chosen it's news to me. _The letter Talia had just received from Si'anne, saying that she was at Riverbend and Camon was coming on alone with Iearnen was not good news. The fact that she'd mentioned (in code) that Camon was still unable to sleep outside Haven unless mounted was not reassuring either. Rolan knew that Talia was still concerned about that and some of the other comments Si'anne had made. He couldn't help but feel that any breakdown that occurred would start with Iearnen. Rolan remembered trying to lecture him about the way he'd Chosen, staying overnight in his Chosen's former home, and taking _two days_ to get back from a house that was essentially a candlemark from the collegium. _What route he took I'll never know. The way he looked at me when I lectured him. And the way he kept staring off into space after I left too. Like he hadn't noticed I'd moved. Is it possible he's not a herald reincarnated? If he was grove-born, I'd know. For certain. Sometimes new companions are born, could he be one? _Rolan considered it._ Not likely, the way he knew Haven. _He sighed. The idea of a neurotic companion was not one that appealed. He wondered if Iearnen could be something else? Something. . .wrong?  
Rolan dismissed the idea. It was just too unlikely. 


	9. Together We Stand

**Together We Stand**

As they slowly approached the inner gates Camon quickly chewed over a problem. _Should I tell the other Herald about Chesh? I mean, we might need her help . . . but then, it's not my secret to tell. I trust her, but what if the other herald doesn't, once they know what she can do?_  
Suddenly he felt movement behind him. He turned around to see Chesh dismount.  
"Where are you going?" He asked in a surprised tone of voice. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  
"The whole idea of me bleeding energy like this was so that I could _avoid_ being noticed by Tremaine. Going up to him and saying 'hi' defeats the idea. After all, my 'invisibility' is hardly perfect, and I doubt it would take long for him to notice that I was having an odd effect on the energy web surrounding me. I dislike being noticed. Nothing good has ever come of it." Her eyes were drifting back to cold again. Camon guessed he had brought up some unpleasant memories, but he _had _to persuade her to help.  
"Chesh, I'll be honest, I think we need you. You have an understanding of Earth-Sense I don't think _anyone_ else possesses. You've taught me things that were never even hinted at as possibilities. The people of Hardorn need you."  
"Why should I care?" Camon gasped. "Or to put that another way, why should I take the risk of having an entire community howling for my blood, when I stand to gain nothing?" She cocked her head at him while he stared. "I have no problem helping people, but why should I risk myself to do so?"  
Camon calmed. He had the feeling she wasn't half a cynical as she seemed. Besides, as a Herald, he was compensated for the risks he took in many ways, chiefly with Iearnen. A sudden pang went through him. _She must be incredibly lonely, the only one of her kind. No wonder she travels so much. _

_:Hurmm:_  
Camon took a deep breath.  
"Well, for starters you'd have a better place to stay than most in the city. I think I can promise you'll be paid, and paid well." Chesh was just looking at him. If there was feeling in her, he couldn't see it. He hadn't meant to sound so mercenary. "You could spend time with me and Iearnen too, and um . . ." Inspiration struck. "And you'd have access to the library! There's supposed to be a large one here. And Chesh, you have my promise that anyone who tries to hurt you will have to go through me first."  
"Snort"  
"Go through _us_ first." Chesh's face softened and she offered a slight smile.  
"Thank you." She quietly said as she climbed up behind him. "That's the first time in . . . a very long while that someone's said they'll stand up for me. I'm touched."

Even though Camon had to turn his back to Chesh he could still feel that smile through his Whites, which suddenly didn't seem to fit so badly.

They were quickly passed through the gates and met by Herald Talia. Camon felt incredibly relieved which earned him a smile from her. Iearnen headed to the stables to rest as they greeted each other.  
"Camon, it's good to see you."  
"Herald Talia! I was hoping it would be you. This is my friend Cheshire."  
"Please, call me Chesh." She said with a smile and a tip of her hat. They were quickly settled into rooms. Fortunately the room cleared for Si'anne, Camon's senior partner was still vacant. Chesh decided to visit Iearnen in the stables, and Talia quickly seized the opportunity to talk to Camon alone.  
"So, how was your trip?" She asked, thinning her shields slightly to enhance her sensitivity.  
"It could easily have been a lot worse." Camon stated matter-of-factly as they walked in the garden. "About a day's travel into the country a monster attacked us. It came out of the ground underneath us. Fortunately the only casualty was Chesh's horse. Neither of us was injured." Talia raised an eyebrow and pointed at Camon's wrist. "Well, not badly, and even that's the result of my own inexperience." Talia nodded. Really, they had been lucky to get away in one piece. Several travelers had been killed, and the rate of attacks was increasing. If it had been like this before she would never have allowed Camon to come alone.

Talia was surprised by his poise, and the genuine lack of residual fear he felt, especially in light of Si'anne's letter about him. She had referred to him as 'lacking in self-confidence', something that could be remedied with experience and 'lacking in common sense', something that couldn't.

Talia thought back to her experiences with Camon, back in Haven. Even though as an empath, she'd been the best one to tutor him in the use of his powers, her schedule had prevented her from getting to know him well. Still, she remembered him as being unstable and nervous. She'd been uncomfortable with the decision to give him his whites and send him here, but there hadn't seemed to be any alternative. Now though, he was like a different person. _He's centered. Not just his gift, he's centered mentally and emotionally. I wonder how that happened?_

By this time they had reached a quiet area of the garden. Camon gently led Talia to a private bench. He seemed to be thinking something over intently, determined to choose his words with care. Talia patiently waited for him to speak. _He's deciding exactly what to tell me. A chill crept through her. Has he changed so much he's considering lying to another herald?_  
"Talia, Chesh has earth-sense." Talia raised her eyebrows. Earth-sense was hardly a common ability, which was why she'd been the one to tutor Camon. Camon took a deep breath. "What's more, she can use her abilities offensively. She killed the monster by draining its energy." The words came out in a rush. He looked at her, obviously expecting a response.  
"I wasn't aware that was possible."  
"Either was I. Without her help I'd be dead. She's taught me how to do a lot of things, things I didn't even know were possible, were never even mentioned as possibilities. Do you know that I can check on my parents from here? All the way back in Haven and I know how they're fine. I haven't had any trouble sleeping either. She taught me how to connect to a place and later sever that connection so I can leave." Talia was shocked. Even Tremaine couldn't do that. Suddenly she realized something. _He's trying to distract me. What is it he doesn't want me to know?_ She almost dropped her shields completely, trying to read him, then reconsidered. _No. I won't treat him like an enemy. That's the surest way to alienate him. Treat him like an equal. He obviously is now._  
"You're hiding something from me Camon." She said to him sternly.  
"Yes."  
"As your senior officer I could order you to tell me."  
"As a fellow herald I could ask you to trust me when I say it's not something you need to know."  
"Trust is a two way street Camon. If you expect me to trust you as a full Herald, you have to trust my judgment in return. What I don't know, however insignificant could result in serious problems later." Suddenly a flash of knowledge came to her. "Of course, I should have realized." Talia muttered to herself. "Don't worry, I know what it is. I'm sorry for prying, but I had to know. Don't worry, I'll leave this a private matter between you and Chesh." Talia patted him on the hand as she walked off, leaving him sitting on the bench staring openmouthed after her.  
_Honestly, all that fuss over him becoming a father. Still I suppose it was probably unexpected._ Talia snickered in the privacy of her own mind. _No wonder he was sleeping better_. 


	10. Divided we fall

**Divided we fall**

Chesh raised an eyebrow as Talia joined her in the stables. Camon had mentioned she was a powerful empath, but she hadn't realised just how powerful.  
  
It was a shame they had company now, she'd almost figured out what she wanted to say to Iearnen. One problem with being old was that she tended to overthink things. She'd outgrown action for the sake of action decades ago.  
  
She introduced herself again as she brushed Iearnen. Kept her from having to shake hands. She frowned. Talia seemed to be congratulating her on something. What...? She thought her and Camon were.... She started laughing. She couldn't help it.  
Talia looked down at her over the side of the stall, a chagrined expression on her face.  
"I misread the situation totally didn't I?"  
"Oh yeah." Talia shook her head and moved into the stall, flopping down onto the hay, heedless of her spotless clothes. "Not that he's not worth sleeping with. Decent kid, just needs some polish." She laughed "Though I think I'll leave most of the ego buffing to some suitably enamored 'sweet young thing'. I tend to leave scratches."  
"Camon mentioned that you're quite the earth mage."  
"Speaking of mages, have you worked with Silverleaf? Considering the man's attitude I expect he has some talent at least."  
"He's quite the mage." Great, the diplomatic answer. Just what she didn't need.  
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go." She tossed the brush on the self and headed off. She was in a mood to kick someone's ass, and she preferred to do it without an audience.

* * *

"So, have you reconsidered my offer?"  
"Offer? I thought that was intended as an insult. It certainly was one."  
"Why you arrogant..." Seconds later Silverleaf was flat on his high and mighty ass, reeling from the attack on his power source.  
"Listen you, I may be arrogant, but of the two of us, I've earned it. I'm stronger than you, more experienced, and I have a hell of a lot better control. I'm also the person who's going to teach you common courtesy if I have to strip you of every last shred of your dignity to do it. I know the pride of your lineage, and I won't permit you to ruin it."  
"You're lying" Legacy leaned forward, breath hissing past his ear.  
"I knew your grandfather. I knew your grandfather's father. I knew your grandfather's grandfather. And if you tell anyone that, there won't be enough left of you to fill that silver frog your family is so proud of." She walked off, releasing the hold she had on him. He'd recover soon enough. And learn. Yes, he'd definitely learn.

* * *

There was a harsh banging at legacy's door, and before she could even say 'come in' it was thrown open.

"What in the nine hells did you do to me woman?" She stared at Silverleaf, mildly surprised.

"I've limited you to five cases of verbal abuse a day. It's only two candlemarks to noon, don't tell me you've used them up already?"

"You...how...How dare you! How DARE you crawl around in my mind and change me." She blinked at him, surprised.

"I didn't expect you to see it that way." She undid her work and told him so. He was still staring. What did he want? Oh.

"I'm sorry." He let loose a torrent of abuse, proving he could, then spun to leave. "Silverleaf, do you have any friends, back at the vale I mean?" She could hear the honest curiosity she felt reflected in her voice. For a second he paused, reacting to it before storming off. The door slammed loudly behind him.

After a moment she followed.

* * *

"I feel responsible for him, I suppose that's why I did it. I just felt this impulse to make him into somebody his family would be proud of. But it's wrong, isn't it, because if I do that, it's about me and not him.

The real hell of it is that it's so easy. Like breathing. And who thinks about breathing most of the time? You just do it. Power like this, it should be difficult, require sacrifices, anything to make it special." She swallowed, for the first time in years really thinking about what she was. What she had been built to be. It was a frightening thought. "If this gets out of hand I could be really dangerous. The kind of dangerous that spreads across the land...I have to stop." Legacy didn't generally cry. But resting her forehead against the calm chestnut mare, for the first time in centuries she thought she might like to.

Behind her a very worried Talia slipped away to find the king.

* * *

The anger would have been easier to hold on to if he hadn't had a cold core of fear and sadness in him. The hell of it was, she was right. That question, so honest, so unlike the rest of her he'd almost answered. Admitted that no, he didn't have any friends, not at the vale, not elsewhere, not even in his own family. That the other mages went out of their way to humiliate or avoid him. And that he liked it that way.

But then, that wasn't entirely true, and she'd know that, he was certain. His grandfather had been a great Adept, able to bring statues to life and make light his solid tool. But with his son and his grandson, it had gradually bled away, leaving Silverleaf with nothing more than a reputation he could never hope to live up to.

For every accomplishment he made, he was graciously informed that it'd already been done, more quickly, bigger, better. Every failure was rubbed into his face until he was ready to scream. So he did. At one person after another, stripping their confidence and self possession to match his, and driving them away. Over and over until he was finally, blessedly, alone.

The vale gave him a task, and he did it. One errand after another, until finally they'd sent him here, with a different set of people who hated him and a dangerous woman who asked him the most irritating questions. 'Do you have any friends?' Hah, of course he didn't.

But for the first time he admitted, if only to himself, that he wanted one.


	11. Chesh, Camon, Iearnen, all

**Chesh, Camon, Iearnen, all**

She had one more thing to do before she could go. She'd have liked to do it earlier, but getting a companion and herald apart was far from easy.

She climbed up on the stall wall and tried to choose her words carefully.

"The one thing I can't get passed is that you let him do it. Charge that monster in what was very nearly a suicide move. Why? You know better. Companions have..." she stopped herself. The geas might be off, but still..."a greater wealth of knowledge to draw from." That was diplomatic enough.

Iearnen slowly gathered hay from the edges of the stall and made a pile in the centre. He didn't even look at her. For all the world knew, a beautiful animal.

"Listen, it isn't Camon's job to help you lug your emotional baggage." She rethought that. "Okay, maybe it is, maybe that's what this whole pair thing is about, sharing burdens and all that.

But that kid doesn't deserve to get killed over it. He isn't strong enough to stand up to you yet. He will be eventually, but for now he's still learning...Wait. He's learning...'e's learnin' ... Iearnen." She slowly looked over to see two blue eyes staring up at her. "_What_ exactly are you learning?" Slowly those eyes rose to be come level with hers. The world seemed to still.

Iearnen's head shifted to the side, and she put her hands up to either side of the large jaw, feeling the warmth of magic of life flowing through him.

She focused tightly, tuning the rest of the world out. Maybe if she listened closely enough she could pick up something...

_: NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS:_

She watched the stable roof spinning slowly over her head and decided that yes, it was definitely time to leave.

Then she felt something that made her wonder if she'd be allowed to.

Someone was building a trap around the building. A brief moment of effort told her it was mostly Tremaine though there were three others - people she didn't know - helping.

Tremaine might not be an adept at earth magic, but ritual magic was a whole different kettle of fish, 'cause this was a pole trap, the magical equivalent of a giant magnet. Specifically designed to hold any magic creature. Like her. It was being constructed between the two exits. Once it was finished she was STUCK. It was already too strong at the exits, she'd be trapped like a fridge magnet...well, on a fridge. He'd made one mistake though.

The entire building was an exit if you had a big enough hammer. Did she have one?

"I need you to make a hole in the wall for me. If you don't I'm probably dead." blue eyes flicked down the stalls to be met by another pair the same.

Legacy winced as she realised Rolan had overheard everything. _I hate my stupidity sometimes._

The sound of wood splintering drew her head back around and she was in the stall before the second blow hit. She tried to go through, but already she could feel the spell dragging her backward into the room, to the invisible line between the poles she was now bound to. Then a white shape lifted her up, and she hung on as Iearnen, all four legs struggling for traction, slowly gained ground.

For long moments she thought they weren't going to make it, the spell tightening around them both... but then they were through, the pull falling away. Looking behind her she saw Rolan staring after, face unreadable. Then they were gone.

She was hanging on with her legs as they pounded around the corner of the castle, coming up on Camon running out to meet them, rucksack swinging from his hand. Iearnen didn't even slow down as she leaned off-centre and grabbed the outstretched hand, managing to haul him half over despite the fact she didn't have much of a grip, and certainly no saddle to help.

He made it, with an agility she wouldn't have expected from him, and moved up behind her.

"So what happened?"

"They must have found out what I am. This is the usual response, though usually I don't have help."

"Uh oh." Legacy thought he was making a general statement on the situation until she looked back down the road to see Silverleaf pounding after them. Even loaded double, Iearnen could outrun him, but not the spells he could throw.

Trip spells for example, were absurdly simple, and nothing could persuade her they deserved to be hurt like that, not after helping her.

So she slipped off, hitting the ground awkwardly and ran back toward their pursuer. She doubted he could throw anything to hurt her, not many mages could. Though she was certainly wishing she hadn't been so honest about removing her influence. He didn't say anything, or cast anything, though the smirk he gave her made her think she might.

"What, so anxious for my company already?" If there was any justice, the glare she gave him would have reduced him to ash. Instead, he just sat there being annoying. Ah well. The herald pair rode up behind her.

"Hey Chesh, why'd you get off?" Nobody could be that dense. She knew he wasn't, but then everybody needed a straight man.

"I had to take a look. I've never seen an ass riding a horse before." So, he could glare too, but she thought she could see a slight grin hiding there. "C'mon, it's time to get moving."


	12. Fought an evil they had found

**Fought an evil they had found,**

"Do you think they'll be following?" They moved on, slowing the pace for Silverleaf.

"No matter what, Rolan is fast enough to catch us, but I doubt they'll try. Can you tell me why?"

"Yeah, it's a bad idea to chase anything you aren't willing to catch." He rubbed his nose ruefully. "A stripeback on the farm taught me that. Mom made me sleep outside for _days_. They'll leave you alone until they're sure you can't get away like last time." She explained for his benefit and Silverleaf's exactly what had happened. She included her manipulation of Silverleaf. She wasn't proud of it, but she couldn't let him think it had been an unprovoked attack. To her surprise Camon took it well, simply accepting what she'd done.

"Without Iearnen, I would have been stuck, but a cast spell wouldn't have had the same effect. Do you know why?" He shook his head, and she wasn't surprised because it was a fairly technical bit of magic. To her surprise Silverleaf answered, raising her opinion of him sharply.  
"In a thrown spell the control aspect travels with it. That, or there's some link back to the caster. This makes them much easier to alter or deflect, but also more flexible and much faster. On the other hand, in a rune spell, the control is outside, set into a physical medium. They're designed not to change when cast." He eyed her. "And used to contain dangerous...creatures. Tremaine may well be able to cast one remotely if he thinks of it. Our energy signature is hard to hide, especially that thing's." He said, gesturing at Iearnen.

"Actually, it's not as bad as you think, companions might show up well to mage sight, but they're almost invisible to earth sense." She winked at her ride. "Can't imagine why." She thought about the reactions Camon and Iearnen would have to face when they went home and sobered. "So, what now?"

* * *

She could feel her face frozen in disapproval. This was just asking for trouble- tracking the monsters to their home. Never hunt anything on it's own turf if you can help it. But Camon wouldn't be dissuaded and Silverleaf was obviously just as anxious to see his work here concluded.

The pain in the ass had proven surprisingly useful once she'd persuaded him to do things her way, sending wave after wave of nearly invisible field magic out and watching what came back. Technically speaking it was a journeyman's trick, no nodes or lines required. Silverleaf though, had seemed very impressed by it, which had made her feel pretty good until Camon decided to go charging off on his hunt. He wasn't willing to wait, to hand things over, because he had a weapon the heralds never would: her. Oh, he called her an 'advantage', but that was the gist of it, so here she was, and here they were.

* * *

It smelled bad. Heat was beating into the blood soaked ground sending up a smell to meet the fury of a baking sun. Some of the monsters had run and some had fought. Those ones were dead, she'd just finished making sure of that.

Camon and Iearnen and Silverleaf were a little battered but fine. Well, Camon and Iearnen were anyway, chatting back and forth in their heads, youth and moral certainty making things easy.

Silverleaf seemed to be having deeper thoughts, frowning out over the carnage. Perhaps it was just the smell of it all. Her own face was blank, force of habit. She didn't know about right or wrong, but it had been necessary. After all, you can't have monsters running around loose.


	13. Yet left another left unbound

**Yet missed another left unbound**

Epilogue

The warmth of relief wrapped Iearnen like the summer sun. If he'd been human, he'd have been beaming from ear to ear. He'd done it. He'd fought. Fought and hadn't run. Fought well and protected his partner. It was so...perfect. Liberating, leaving behind a burden he'd been carrying for far too long. It had left its mark on him, stains and strains, but those would heal.

_:Do you think she'll be willing to come to Haven? She'd be quite the teacher.:_ Iearnen shifted and for the first time ever, truly spoke to his bonded.

_:Yes, but are you really willing to put up with Silverleaf on a permanent basis?:_ Camon smiled, the dark humor of his companion's voice fitting into his head like it'd always been there. _:Besides, isn't she just a little dangerous to allow that close to herald central?:_ Camon sighed and had to admit that might be true.

_: I think she might not be entirely sane:_ Camon admitted reluctantly. _: I think she might have many-in-one or fly-and-fall, her mood changes so quickly:_ He watched, unnoticed as she caressed the horns of one of the fallen change creatures, her face set in a mask of grief. _: There must be some sort of compromise that can be made.:_

They watched as Silverleaf walked over, and in a shocking display of compassion stilled her hands.

_: What about Errold's grove?:_ Camon asked silently_ :They have adepts there if things get...out of hand. And a herald to keep Haven informed.:_

: Your thoughts on the matter will probably not even have to be spoken aloud, what with the thoroughness our brains will be picked over when we return:

Camon sent a mental picture of a scowling Queen's Own taking the top off his head and pulling out a pair of dirty underwear. Amusement rolled back and forth between them.

He smiled as he watched Silverleaf awkwardly pat Chesh on the back.

_: Things will be okay:_ and neither of them could have said where the thought came from, but they both believed it.


End file.
